Improvement in postage-stamps



J. DEWE. Postage-Stamp.

No. 200,702. Patented Feb. 26,1878.

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N.PETER3. PNOTWUTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN DEWE, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

I IMPROVEMENT IN POSTAGE-STAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,702, dated February26, 1878 application filed November 17, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DEWE, of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario,and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and valuable Improvement inPostage- Stamps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a 16111,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

The figure of the drawing is a representation of the paper from which mypostagestamps are made.

My invention relates to postage and other stamps and seals; and has forits object to prevent fraud in using stamps that have been previouslyused, and to supply a seal that cannot be tampered with.

The annexed drawing, to which reference is made, fully illustrates myinvention.

A represents a sheet of suitable paper for making postage and otherstamps and seals. This paper is colored on one side only, and isperforated or slitted with numerous holes, as

shown at m w. This may be accomplished by passing the sheet betweentoothed rollers, or in any other suitable manner. These small holes orslits a; a: are afterward filled pp by subjecting the paper to pressure.The paper is then coated on the colored side with gum or other adhesivematerial, and each sheet divided, the same as sheets of ordinary postageor other stamps, by perforations or other process, into equal parts, sothat one or more parts can be easily detached.

Previous to being thus prepared, the sheets may be engraved with anyrequired device on that side which is not colored.

The stamps and seals thus made are applied in the usual manner, and whenapplied the coloring from the back is only very faintly, if at all,discernible on the front. If, how ever, a stamp or seal is removed bymoisture the coloring will at once ooze through the perforations m, andcolor almost the entire front surface, which will show at a glance thatthe stamp has already been once used, or the seal tampered with. If itis attempted to remove the stamp or seal without moistening the same, itwill invariably be torn in pieces, on account of the perforations :r.

This invention is applicable to all kinds of stamps and seals.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method of making stamps and seals, which consists in coloring oneside of the prepared sheet of paper, perforating the same with numerousslits, then subjecting the sheet to pressure to close said slits, thencoating the colored side with adhesive material, and dividing the sheetby perforating in the usual manner, substantially as described.

2. As an article of manufacture, a postage orother stamp or seal thebody of which is provided with numerous closed perforations, is coloredon the back, and has the adhesive substance applied to said coloredsurface, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN DEWE.

